Under The Stars
by pansy1980
Summary: Voyager is home. And Kathryn spends her last night on her ship. Chapter 3 is new! * If you like it please review!*
1. Chapter 1

Under the Stars

Voyager is home. And Kathryn spends her last night on her ship.

It was finally over. After 7 years of battling aliens and making alliances with the Borg, Kathryn Janeway was finally home. She had lost people along the way, and gained new crew along the way. Some of the crew she had lost voluntarily, others were not as lucky. She laughed slightly to herself, remembering what her first objective had been, capturing the Maqui. But that was the past.

As she rounded the bend toward her quarters, she remembered the first time that she had seen Chaktoay. It had been over the view screen, and he had been less than thrilled to see her. They both had been younger than, and probably a little stronger too. But the years had taken a toll on both of them, personally and professionally.

As she keyed in her private code, she remembered something from her academy days. Apparently it was an old ship tradition for the Captain to change the security code on their quarters. Kathryn had always thought it was a silly practice. After all sometimes it took the new captain hours to figure out their new code.

But for whatever reason she decided to do it anyway. Maybe it was her way of having one last laugh on her ship. Because tomorrow was the farewell party for the crew, and tomorrow she would no longer be the captain of Voyager. Tomorrow she was turning into an Admiral. Tomorrow Voyager would belong to someone else.

As she keyed in her "new" code she let out a giggled. The lock beeped, accepting the new code, and Kathryn walked into her quarters for the last time.

Chakotay didn't need to ask anyone, he knew where she would be. As he crossed the bridge he saw Voyager docked at the station. He watched it silently for a moment, and then continued his walk. He was dressed in his Star fleet uniform. He had been given a promotion, to Captain. After the Dominion war, Star fleet was in need of new captains.

As he made his way toward the door, a cadet stood by the entrance. As Chaktoay made his way toward the young cadet, his mind pondered what to say to get aboard. The cadet noticed Chakotay's rank, and wasted no time opening the door for him. The cadet Sault him, and Chakotay did the same.

Once inside Chakotay made his way toward Kathryn Janeway's ready room. He was sure that she was there. She probably was sending out reports for tomorrow, typical Kathryn Janeway. As he got on the turbo lift, he sighed. He had no idea what he was going to say to her. He knew what he wanted to say, but he didn't know if he had the courage to say it.

When the turbo lift stopped on the bridge, he stepped out. It was quiet. The view screen had been left on, and he saw the stars twinkling brightly. Voyager had been left on one of the docks above Earth, as a safety precaution. He glanced at the chair where he sat for years, and a crooked thought crossed his mind. He quickly erased it from his mind, and made his way toward the ready room doors.

Chakotay had beeped several times, but there was no answer. Thinking that something might be wrong, he used his over-ride to open the door. But when the door opened, Kathryn wasn't any where to be seen.

"Where on Earth could she be?"

He thought for a moment, and then decided to check her quarters.

In her quarters, Kathryn Janeway had downed a bottle of champagne, replicated another, and had put on some of her favorite music. She danced around her room with the champagne bottle in her hand. She was drunk and completely out of it, when she started to refer to the Champagne bottle as Chaktoay.

She began to nuzzle it close and whisper softly to it. It was eerily entertaining for her, she laughed quietly as she joked with it, she even gave it her captain's stare when he had tried to kiss her.

Meanwhile Chakotay had decided to try her quarters. He knew that she probably wasn't there, that she was probably in the hollo-deck, running a program, but he figured he would try before he trekked to the other side of the ship.

A thought crossed his mind. God he was stupid.

"Computer locate Captain Janeway."

"Unable to comply."

"Why?"

"That information is classified."

"Well at least I don't feel as stupid as I did a second ago."

"Please restate the question."

Chakotay chucked to himself as the computer answered his question. He finally made it to Kathryn's quarters. He chimed. No response. He tired again. No response. He decided to punch in her security code. But nothing happened. Puzzled he tried it again. It wasn't working. Suddenly Chakotay had a thought, something that he had overheard once at the academy entered his brain.

Maybe she had changed her code. He had heard that it was customary for captain's to do. It was a sort of initiation for new captains. Then something evil entered his mind again. Something that he had learned in the Maqui years ago. He took one of his pins off his jacket and placed it against the mirror on the lock. He adjusted it several times, and placed his ear against it.

Inside her quarters Kathryn had finished the second bottle of Champagne, and ordered a third. She was having lots of fun talking to her bottle of Chaktoay. She headed into her bedroom and layed the bottle on the pillow. She began speaking to it in slurred but intimate way, believing that it really was Chaktoay. She leaned over and gave the bottle a lavish kiss before throwing her hair back and laughing.

Chakotay listened intently for a click against the lock. And a few minutes later he took the pin out, and entered the new code into the door. The door opened. He smiled at himself as he entered the quarters.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Under the Stars

Part 2

*And as always thanks for your feedback everyone! And if you haven't left feedback- WHY NOT? I'm only a flower I don't bite! LOL! Hope you enjoy chapter 2!

Chakotay stepped inside Kathryn's quarters. It was dim and there was some music that was playing that he didn't recognize. The room smelled of perfume, wine and chocolate. The scent was overpowering and he nearly lost his lunch when he tried to breathe.

He made his way to a side table when he noticed several bottles of Champagne. He knew that Kathryn had a weakness for champagne, so he figured that she had started celebrating early. What really caught his eye, was the lipstick writing all over the bottles with kisses and hearts and his name written all over them.

His brain tried to process what was going on, but it was failing miserably. As his eyes lifted, he noticed something else. He walked closer to the windows he saw what it was. Written in large bold shaving cream letters was his name, several hearts.

Now he really was speechless.

Chakotay realized that he had been in Kathryn's quarters for a few minutes now, and he hadn't even announced his presence. He called out to her, in the direction of her bedroom.

"Kathryn are you here?"

No answer. He decided to go and check her room. On his way there he tripped on a pile of multi- colored flower petals, another bottle of Champagne and Kathryn's uniform.

He knocked on the door but there was still no answer. Cautiously he pushed the door open. He bedroom was empty. But he did notice the many patches of red lips all over her pillows.

Chardonnay didn't know what to do or how to react. But most important of all, where on earth was Kathryn?

Kathryn couldn't remember being this drunk in her life. In fact she was glad that she didn't have to drive the ship because she probably would have rammed right into the Earth. She was still clutching the champagne bottle in her right hand, kissing it whenever she took a sip.

She sat down on the bed, but when the bottle slipped from her hand to the floor she saluted it.

"At ease, commander."

Kathryn waited for "Chakotay" to solute back. But when he didn't she told him that she was going to put him on report.

She leaned back on the bed and sighed. "Chakotay do you love me?"

The bottle remained on the floor. Obviously speechless.

Chakotay stayed in Kathryn's quarters waiting for her to come back from wherever she was. He grew tired in his wait and soon he feel asleep on her couch.

He awoke hours later dizzy from the scent of the perfume, that still lingered in the air. Obviously Kathryn wasn't back yet, and he decided to leave. The beginning of the Voyager party would be starting soon, and he couldn't be late.

He was just coming out of Kathryn's quarters when Kathryn ran head first into him.

"Kathryn?"

Kathryn looked greener than some of the aliens that they had run into in the Delta quadrant.

"Chaktoay, what are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you. Kathryn where have you been?"

"I was, I was, I don't remember."

"Never mind Kathryn, can I help you somehow?"

"Nope, I just want to go to sleep."

Kathryn walked into her quarters and screamed. "Chakotay what the hell did you do to my quarters!"

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Under the Stars

prt 3

Chakotay new that Kathryn had had a bunch to drink. What he didn't know was where she had slept last night.

Cautiously he approached her from behind.

"Kathryn, do you remember where you were last night?"

Kathryn turned and stared at him. "Well of course I do Chakotay, I was right here, in my quarters."

Chakotay tired to hide his smile. He knew that she didn't remember being in her quarters or anything else for that matter. But she was trying to hide it from him and he thought that it was rather charming. After all when she was completely uninhibited she was completely enchanting.

"If that is true Kathryn then how come you don't remember last night?"

Kathryn stood her ground. "I remember last night, every last second."

He sat down in one of the arm chairs and took off his hat. He put his feet up on the coffee table and looked up at her. She was visibly amused by his actions, and he was going to take full advantage of it.

"I'm so glad Kathryn. So which part of last night was your favorite?"

Kathryn bit her tongue. Great she thought, he knows. But instead of confessing, she figured she would play her own game with him. After all he was the one that started it. And the first rule that Chakotay had to learn was that you never mess with her before she had her morning coffee.

She smiled at him. And sat on the coffee table and tilted her head slightly. "I would say the best part of last night was the Champagne. Although the roses were a nice touch. I don't think that I thanked you properly for those."

Chakotay swallowed hard. She knew. But what she didn't know was that he had a plan. The same plan that he had had last night. The plan he had before he had broke into her private quarters.

Kathryn retrieved a cup of coffee from the replicator. "So do you have any favorite parts of last night Chakotay?"

Chakotay grinned and folded his hands in front of him. "Actually I do."

Kathryn turned around while sipping her coffee. "Well?"

\

Chakotay stood up and walked over to her. "I would have to say my favorite part was when I came aboard Voyager and told you that I had been given the rank of Captain. And that until you were promoted to Admiral we were the same rank. So therefore I could do what I have wanted to do for years."

Kathryn was about to ask what that was, but Chakotay grabbed the cup of coffee and threw it aside. He grabbed her face looked into her eyes, and kissed her. She tasted of Champagne and coffee but Chakotay didn't care, because for once he had completely taken her off guard.

When he released her lips Kathryn stood flushed and dazed. The stood silently in front of one another.

"I love you Kathryn, I always have. But now I have to take my leave. I am expected. But know that I will be seeing you very soon. And when I get back we can talk about this, about us, and about what happened last night."

He left her standing in her quarters alone.

A few hours later Kathryn had finished cleaning up her quarters. As she was picking up one of the empty champagne bottles her memories came flooding back to her. Everything about last night revisited her mind.

She dropped the champagne bottle and it crashed to the floor.

"Oh my god!"

She couldn't believe it. She remembered everything. Including the kiss. But he had never kissed her last night. She had spent the entire night drunk thinking of him. And after her replicator malfunctioned he transporter to his quarters to retrieve another bottle of Champagne. But she had been so drowsy that she never made it to the replicator. Instead she had slept in his bed.

Later that night Chakotay returned to Kathryn's quarters. He had felt bad about deceiving her, and felt it necessary to apologize to her. He had dressed for the party, in a black suit, and he had managed to buy a small bouquet or flowers for Kathryn, to encourage her to forgive him.

Her rang the chime once. And then the door opened. She stood in front of him, dressed in a long green strapless gown. Her hair tossed up over her head, so that a few strands fell down on either side of her face.

She looked stunning.

He looked handsome.

"Kathryn you look beautiful, these are for you."

She took the flowers, and thanked him. "Would you come inside for a second, I thought we could have a drink before we went to the party."

"Of course Kathryn. But I wanted to say something to you first if you don't mind."

She handed him a bottle. "Before you do anything Chakotay I would like to read something for me aloud if you could."

He took the bottle from her hand and began to read.

_Under the Stars_

_Under the Stars is where we first met,_

_Under the Stars is where we first fought._

_I never imagined that the stars could look so bright,_

_But being close to you, under the stars never felt so right._

_I have wanted you for years, while we were under the stars._

_And now I have only one thing left to give you under the stars,_

_This, a kiss._

As he finished the last line Kathryn took the bottle and threw it across the room. In that second she wrapped her arms around him and leaned in and kissed him. She didn't hold back anything at that moment. In fact she never held back anything ever again from him.

Epilogue-

Years later, Long after Kathryn and Chakotay had died, a young man was cleaning out his grandparents attic. He was an active youth who had just graduated from Star fleet Academy. His grandparents had recently died, and had left the house to him. As he moved one of the old chairs out of the way, he noticed a small box that sat on the floor. Curiously he opened it and examined it's contents.

Inside was a small hollo-image of his grandparents on their wedding day. And the back was a small note.

_How I asked Admiral Kathryn Janeway to marry me,_

_I used the bottle._

He picked up the bottle and read.

_Under the Stars_

_Under the Stars is where we first met,_

_Under the Stars is where we first fought._

_I never imagined that the stars could look so bright,_

_But being close to you, under the stars never felt so right._

_I have wanted you for years, while we were under the stars._

_And now I have only one thing left to give you under the stars,_

_This, a kiss._

Scribbled underneath were a few extra words.

I have loved you for years, under the stars,

I now ask you this under the stars,

Will you marry me?

Just as he was finished reading his girlfriend called from downstairs. He smiled as he closed the box and headed down the ladder. Tonight would be a night to remember under the stars.

THE END


End file.
